Featured Idol Friday: Hey! Say! JUMP

Here’s the low-down on one of Johnny’s Entertainment’s younger groups: Hey! Say! JUMP. The nine-member boyband has had an extensive history despite all of the members currently ranging from their early to mid-twenties.

Left to Right: Kota Yabu, Yuto Nakajima, Kei Inoo, Keito Okamoto,Ryosuke Yamada, Yuri Chinen, Hikaru Yaotome, Yuya Takaki

The group debuted in late 2007, officially releasing their first single in September of the same year. Originally a ten-piece idol group, former member Ryutaro Morimoto was suspended in mid-2011 after a scandal regarding underage tobacco usage, to which they proceeded to release new music soon despite the situation.
 
The Johnny’s group continues to flourish, and now has 6 albums, 17 singles, and 6 different concert films to date. Topping the Oricon rankings? Not too unusual for JUMP. Through the course of their nine years, there’s been some undeniable variability within their music. They’ve produced songs ranging from bubblegum pop to rap to funk rock.

Live Performance of "Kimi Attraction" (2015)

Youngest member Yuri Chinen, 22, is the son of famous gymnast Takashi Chinen; as a result, it may not be much of a surprise to see him do acrobatics in their performances. Yuto Nakajima, 23, is the group’s second youngest member. His face is commonly seen plastered amongst the cover of magazines and televisions, continuously increasing his own popularity as a model and actor.
 
Kei Inoo, Keito Okamoto, and Kota Yabu are some of the few Johnny’s to have attended secondary education following high school (despite it not being a requirement of the agency). Inoo is the main MC for the group, having hosted an impressive number of variety shows in the past years. Okamoto is the group’s overseas representative - he is the only member to speak fluent, conversational English thanks to his time spent abroad in England. Yabu, the oldest of the nine members, is the leader of the rowdy boy group.

Ultra Music Power (2011)

Maji Sunshine (2016)

Daiki Arioka and Hikaru Yaotome are the comedians and rappers of the group, the latter of which being arguably the most active in regards to dancing. Like Inoo Kei, Yuya Takaki is a frequent show host, also possessing some acting experience in TV dramas.

Center member Ryosuke Yamada, 23, is the only member with his own solo career, setting several records and topping the Oricon charts with his debut singles ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Mystery Virgin.’ Aside from that, he’s also received recent awards for his performance as Nagisa Shiota in the live action films for Assassination Classroom. Only months ago was it announced that he would also play the leading role in the upcoming live action film Fullmetal Alchemist, portraying the beloved hot-headed alchemist Edward Elric.
 
The group may almost be moving too fast to keep up with, as shown by the steady flow of announcements regarding each individual member’s activities. As a group, Hey! Say! JUMP also released an album entited ‘DEAR’ in late July, and are currently embarking on a tour of the same name. Please keep an eye out for their activities!

-Dia

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